Box



G. E. STRUBLE 2,896,838

BOX

July 28, 1959 Filed Jan. 25,v 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GLENN E. STRUBLE BY WMMyflugz ATTORNEYS July 28, 1959 G. E. STRUBLE BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25., 1957 FIG-6 L w l L F 0 )r mi INVENTOR.

GLENN E. STRUBLE BY I M 74 ATTORNEYS 2,895,38 Patented July 28, 1959 BOX Glenn E. Struble, Hamilton, Ohio, assignor, by'mesne assignments, to Diamond Gardner (Zorporation, a corporation of Delaware Application January 25, 1957, Serial No. 636,413 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-,.52)

This application relates to boxes, and particularly to handle construction for boxes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved handle construction for boxes, particularly for those boxes having telescoping top and bottom parts formed from a single blank and joined through a common wall panel.

In such boxes, which are extensively used for garment packaging and the like, the closed box has double side wall panels by reason of the telescoping top and bottom sections. The common wall panel, however, is only a single ply in the finished closed box, and therefore it is customary to secure a backing or reinforcing strip to the interior of the common wall panel in order to have the entire peripheral wall structure of double ply construction when the box is closed. Apparatus for securing such backing strips to the box blank, in the area of the common wall panel, is well known to the carton manufacturing industry. Ordinarily, however, the backing strip is merely a plain piece of paperboard material and performs no function other than reinforcing as described above.

Accordingly, a further important object of this invention is to utilize parts of a backing strip such as outlined above for providing handle structure for the box without complicating the gluing attachment between the strip and box blank, so that the handle-providing backing strip of the invention may be applied by conventional machines in general use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle construction from such a backing strip while retaining the reinforcing properties desirable in such strips.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a handle construction wherein the handle is integrally connected at both ends to the backing strip, and wherein at least one of the integral connections includes a hinge piece for retaining the ends of the handle in properly spaced relation when the handle is extended to its bowed carrying position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box embodying the present invention, with the top of the box in a partially open position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the portions of the box blank to'which the backing strip is applied;

Fig. 3 is a view of the handle forming backing strip provided this invention;

- Fig. 4 is a partial perspective'view of the outer sura e the b e tartar the Wall Pa a .1 w h hea ertare defin ng flaps haw in an o e -Po tion;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the handle in its extended carrying position;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the end of 2 the box and the attached backingstrip with the fiapsand the handle in flat folded or-retracted position;-

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the handle in an intermediate position during extension thereof to its carrying position; and

Fig. 8 is a section takenon line 88 of Fig. 5 showing the handle in its fully extended position.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a typical folding box of the type used to carry garments and the like is shown embodyingthe handle construction of the present invention. The box includes a bottom or main body section having a bottom panel 10 and side panels 11 ex tending upwardly therefrom. At, the front of the box as viewed in Fig, 1 there is a front panel 13 having inwardly extending flaps 14mm to the side panels 11 and 12, respectively, with the side panels having diagonal fold lines 15 providing for folding; of the side and front panels ontoth'e bottom 10- to collapse the assembled box for storage in the usual 'mannerj The flaps 14 are attached to panels'11 and 12" only between their upper edges and fold lines 1'5,'as viewed in Fig. 1, and thus the flaps can fold -flat 'within the box for storage and act to hold the side panels erect when the box is opened for use. At the edge of bottom 10 opposite from the panel 13 a rear wallpanel 18 (Fig; 2) extends upwardly, be ing connected to bottom panel 10 along a fold line 19.

The lid of the box is arranged to fold over the bottom or main body section in telescoping relation therewith, and the lid thus includes a top panel 20 connected along a fold line 21 to rear wall panel 18, and lid sidewall panels 22 and 23'extend from top panel 20 to embrace the side panels 1 1 and 12'when'the lid is closed. The lid front panel 24 extends from the front edge of top panel 29 and includes flaps 25 secured to side panels 22 and 23, respectively, with diagonal fold lines 26 extend ing across the ends of the side'panels to provide for folding of panels 22, 23 and 24 flat upon the top panel 20 in the same manner as described in connection with the bottom.

Sidepanels 11 and 22, 12 and 23, are integrally connected byflaps 30 having V-shapednotches32 therein, and diagonal fold lines 33 extending generally from the apex of notches 32 to'thecorners ofthe panels 10 and 26, respectively, provide forbellows folding of the flaps 30 as the lid is closed, and as shown in" Fig. 1. The bottom front panel lfl is slit toprovide tongues 35, the opposite sides of which are receivable within slots 35 in top front panel 24 to lock-the lid in closed position. Also, a suitable notch 37 may be cut in the free edge of front panel 24 to facilitate grasping of the lid for open ing thereof.

Referring to Fig. 2, panel 18 has a central longitudinally extending slit 40 therein, and transverse generally V-shaped slits'42 extending from opposite ends of "slit 49. Fold lines 44 extend between adjacent ends of these slits to define longitudinally extending flaps 45 and short transverselyextending flaps 46 which are bendable to an open position. wherein they define a substantially rectangular aperture in panel 18, as shown in Fig. 4. A backing or reinforcing strip 50 is adhered to the surface .of panel 18 interiorly-of the box with glue ap plied to the stippled areas'of panel 18 shown in Fig. 2. Corresponding areas of the strip 50' which adhere to the adhesive coated parts ofstrip" 50 are cross-hatched in Fig. 3. i v i The strip 50 is provided with a pair of spaced generally parallel: longitudinally: extending slots 52, spaced apart somewhat less than the width of the opening in panel 18 defined by the space between flaps 45 when they are open. The length of slits 52 is somewhat greater than the length of the opening in panel 18', and between opposite ends of slits 52 there are fold lines 53 and 54 which define a handle 55. Fold line 53 is aligned generally with one end of the rectangular opening in panel 18, or in other words beneath the fold line connecting one of the flaps 46 to that panel, while the other end of handle 55 extends substantially beyond the other end of the opening.

A hinge piece 58 provides an integral folding connection between the other end of handle 55 and strip 50, being connected along fold line 54 to the other end of handle 55, and being connected along fold lines 60 to strip 50. The remainder of hinge piece 58 is separated from strip 50 by a continuous slit 62 which connects the opposite ends of fold lines 60, passing around the end of handle 55 as shown in Fig. 3. If desired, a finger notch for grasping hinge piece 58 may be provided by a slit 63 which will provide for removal of a semi-circular piece at the end of hinge piece 58, leaving an opening at this point when the strip is adhered to the box so that the edge of hinge piece 58'may be grasped when erecting the handle. The handle 55, therefore, is formed entirely from the backing strip 50 and remains integrally connected at both ends to that strip. Furthermore, the location of the handle forming parts is such that the backing strip may be applied to the box handle 18 in the usual manner by application of a suitable adhesive to opposite ends of strip 50, as shown by the stippled areas in Fig. 3, and therefore it is unnecessary to alter the machine which assembles the box blanks and backing strips.

The handle 55 may readily be erected to its carrying position, as shown in Figs. 6-8 of the drawings. In Fig. 6 the handle is shown in its flat folded position, as before the box is erected for use. After the hinge piece 58 is grasped and folded away from panel 18 along fold lines 60, the handle will bow as its end defined by fold line 54 is moved inwardly toward the center of the opening in panel 18. As the handle 55 is bowed outwardly through the opening, flaps and 46 will fold outwardly, as shown in Fig. 7, until the arch of the bowed handle is such that it extends around the corners of flaps 45,

whereupon these flaps may be folded inwardly to cover substantially all of the opening in panel 18. The dimensioning of the parts is such that fold lines '60 are located intermediate the fold line 54 and the adjacent end of the opening defined by the closest flap 46. Therefore, as the handle is moved to its fully extended carrying position, in other words when hinge piece 58 is folded through substantially 180, fold line 54 moves around to a position where it is substantially beneath the end of the opening in panel 18, as shown in Fig. 8. The handle is then fully extended and the opposite ends of the handle are retained in proper spaced relation due to their integral connections with strip 50, and as mentioned previously the rectangular opening in panel 18 is substantially covered by flaps 45.

In addition to the fact that it is provided from existing parts of the box, without need of further structure, the handle construction of this invention is desirable for other reasons, since the backing strip may, if it is found suitable, be made of heavier stock than the remainder of the box, with a resulting handle of greater strength. Also, since the paperboard from which these boxes are formed is n most cases finished on one surface only, and since this finished surface is of course on the exterior of the box, it is desirable for the sake of appearance to have a handle with a similar finished outer surface. The present nvention provides such a feature by having the reinforcing strip 50 with a finished surface adhered to the interior of panel 18, so that the finished surface of handle extends across the opening in panel 18 beneath flaps 45 and 46, and when the handle is moved to its c r y position its finished surface is visible from the exterior of the box.

While the form of article herein described constitutes a prefer-red embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of article, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a box including telescoping top and bottom sections integrally joined through a wall panel, said panel having a generally rectangular opening therein having sides of substantially greater length than the opposite ends thereof, flap means normally closing said opening, the combination of a backing strip for said wall panel having longitudinally extending slits therein defining a flexible handle portion of a width no greater than the width of said opening and of greater length than saidopening, op-

posite ends of said strip beyond the ends of said slits being secured to the interior surface of said wall panel with said handle portion extending across said opening between opposite sides thereof, one end of said handle being integrally hinged to said strip along a fold line extending beneath one end of said opening, the other end of said handle extending beyond the other end of said opening, a hinge piece formed from said strip and connected to said other end of said handle along a fold line spaced from said other end of said opening, ,said hinge piece having a folding connection with said strip spaced approximately midway between said other end of said opening and said last mentioned fold line providing for movement of said last mentioned fold line'into a position beneath said other end of said aperture and for consequent fiexure of said handle portion out of the plane of said handle strip extending through said opening into a carrying position outwardly of said wall panel.

2. In combination, a box including telescoping top and bottom sections integrally joined through a common wall panel, said wall panel having a generally rectangular opening therein of substantially greater length than width and having flap means normally closing said opening, a carrying handle construction comprising a bracing strip extending across said opening interiorly of said box and adhered at opposite ends to said panel, said strip being free from connection with said panel between said opposite ends thereof, said strip having generally parallel 'slits therein underlying the longer sides of said opening and defining a flexible carrying handle, one end of said handle being defined by a fold line connecting said slits and extending beneath one end of said opening, a hinge piece providing an integral folding connection between the other end of said handle and said strip, said hinge piece being spaced between the adjacent adhered end of said strip and the adjacent end of said opening, said hinge piece being connected to the other end of said handle along a fold line extending between said slits and spaced beyond the other end of said opening in the flat folded condition of said handle, and said hinge piece being connected to said strip along a fold line spaced intermediate the said other end of said handle and the said other end of said opening provided for bowing of said handle outwardly through said opening to its carrying position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,145,682 Bergstein Jan. 31, 1931 2,164,561 Berke July 4, 1939 2,387,329 Jacobs Oct. 23, 1945 2,482,399 Bullock Sept. 20, 1949 2,640,645 Brown June 2, 1953 

